Owner of Roseville restaurant says waitress shot to death there was ‘very full of love’
Vita Joga worked as a waitress at the House of Oliver restaurant in Roseville for the past seven years. She was friendly and welcoming to all her customers, and many of them would pose for photos with her.
House of Oliver owner Matthew Oliver said Joga had a “colorful heart” and she could brighten any room she walked into with her “expressive” personality. He said she was at the restaurant Monday when she was shot and killed by a former fiancé in an “act of domestic violence.”
The Placer County Sheriff’’s Office on Tuesday confirmed that Joga, 51, was killed in Monday’s shooting at the restaurant. The Roseville Police Department announced Tuesday that the victim in Monday’s shooting in Roseville died of her injuries and that a suspect had been arrested.
Johnnie Jordan IV was arrested in connection with the shooting, police said. The Police Department declined to confirm Jordan’s relationship with Joga.
Jordan, 48, was arrested on suspicion of murder, corporal injury to a spouse, committing a felony while free on bail or release and violating a restraining order, according to Placer County Jail records. He remained in custody Tuesday and is being held without bail.
Oliver said Joga was a single mother to a teenage daughter, and Joga had obtained a restraining order against Jordan for her safety. He said Joga was “very full of love” and her daughter is very proud of her mother’s life as a kind person to all.
“We are not going to allow this one act of darkness to dim the light that she had,” Oliver told The Sacramento Bee on Tuesday.
Jordan was scheduled to appear in Placer Superior Court on Monday morning to face charges that stemmed from an incident that occurred May 7. He failed to appear in court Monday, and Judge Suzanne Gazzaniga issued a $500,000 bench warrant for his arrest, according to court records.
Court records indicate Jordan was arrested and released May 10 on bail in connection with the May 7 incident. In this case, he faces charges that include making criminal threats and committing “battery on or against a spouse, cohabiter or dater,” according to court records.
The Bee on Tuesday obtained a copy of a temporary restraining order Joga obtained against Jordan. The temporary restraining order was filed in Placer Superior Court on May 10, the same day the Placer County District Attorney’s Office filed a criminal complaint against Jordan in connection with the May 7 incident.
After a May 28 hearing, Placer Superior Court Commissioner Glenn Holley granted Joga a protective order against Jordan. The court ordered Jordan to stay 100 yards away from Joga, her daughter, her Rocklin home and her workplace, along with staying 25 yards away from Joga in all other public places.
The court also ordered Jordan, of Citrus Heights, to immediately move his belongings out of Joga’s Rocklin home, according to the protective order. He also was ordered not to own, possess or buy a gun or ammunition. The protective order would remain in effect until May 28, 2026, unless otherwise ordered by the court.
Prosecutors handling Jordan’s criminal threats case were not available to comment Tuesday afternoon.
People have left behind several flower arrangements at House of Oliver along with notes offering their condolences and personal messages to the waitress they knew well.
The restaurant owner said Joga would volunteer her free time during the COVID-19 pandemic to help the restaurant any way she could, including making deliveries. House of Oliver remained closed Tuesday and the owner said he’s not sure when it will reopen. But it will reopen.
“We want to give people the time to heal, but we also know Vita wouldn’t want us to stay closed,” Oliver said. “Vita was full of life and she would want us to live.”
He said he plans to arrange a private gathering for the restaurant’s staff to grieve together. At a later date, Oliver hopes to organize a celebration of life that will be more public.
The shooting was reported at 3:20 p.m. at the restaurant on Douglas Boulevard, near Sierra College Boulevard. Joga was the only victim.
Oliver said he was there when the shooting occurred. He said, “We approached him to leave and then he took action.” Some restaurant staff went to Joga to try to tend to her injuries, while others went around to secure the restaurant.
Police said Jordan left the area in a vehicle and authorities began to search for him. About 5:30 p.m. Monday, police announced that Jordan had been taken into custody.
Rob Baquera, a Roseville police spokesman, said this type of crime is “very uncommon” for Roseville, which has two homicides this year. He said several callers quickly reported the shooting shortly after it occurred.
“It was an incredibly brazen shooting in the middle of the afternoon,” Baquera told The Bee on Tuesday.
The parking lot outside of House of Oliver was closed Monday evening as authorities worked on the shooting scene. House of Oliver announced Monday night on its Facebook page that it would remain closed Tuesday, saying “our heart is broken.”
